Is There a Single Best Electoral System?
Commentary
As several blue states in the United States consider adopting “ranked choice voting” in their jurisdictions, it is opportune to examine the experience of other countries that use a similar system, notably Australia.
Preferential voting—as we call it Down Under—has been part of the Australian electoral landscape for many years. Unsurprisingly it has its supporters and detractors.
But the first question is what is the best way to run a democracy? Is it the “first past the post” system, or compulsory preferential voting? Which delivers the fairest results?
For a democracy to be truly representative and function with the trust of the people it needs to be run fairly….